SAFETY fears have been raised about York Minster’s bells being left in an unsafe position after its volunteer bell ringers were axed and then refused access to the bell tower.

Last week the 30 bell ringers were told by the Dean and Chapter were told their volunteer agreements were being discontinued and their access to the bell tower would be blocked.

Rev Vivienne Faull, Dean of York Minster, said the move was for "health and safety and security" reasons.

The Minster said the bells would be silent until Easter, with a new, paid head bell-ringer and peal team recruited in the new year.

The locks on the tower were changed

John Potter, who says he rang at the cathedral for 42 years, said the bells had been left in the 'up position' after the 30 volunteers were dismissed at a meeting last Tuesday.

He said he offered to lower them to a safe position but this was declined by a Canon, who said he did not have the power to permit it.

Mr Potter claimed: “This is uncharted territory. I know of no precedent for such a heavy ring of bells to be left in the up position for such a long time without being rung.”

He said the tenor bell, weighing more than three tons, was set just over the 12 o’clock position, resting on a wooden stay and with its weight taken on a metal pin some 10 mm in diameter, leaning against a metal block.

“The same applies to all the other bells at their various weights," he said.

"I can but hope that someone in the Health & Safety Executive will read this and get onto the Dean sharpish, and tell her to do something about this situation.

"As the risk cannot be measured with reasonable confidence, it is better to be safe than sorry."

The Minster declined to comment on the matter.

One volunteer at the cathedral, John Ridgeway-Wood, who rang the smaller, Carillon bells, spoke out against the axing of the volunteers, saying the Minster peal was the fourth heaviest in the country and described the bell ringers as “one of the finest ringing groups in the country, if not the world.”

He added: “It’s just awful that they will be silent until sometime next year. You cannot just import people as bell-ringers. The Minster bells are not like your average parish church bells.”

He then received a letter informing him of his suspension from his volunteer agreement, which stated the move followed his; 'intemperate' comments on Facebook and 'similarly objectionable' comments attributed to him in the media about the Chapter's decision.”

The Canon Precentor invited Mr Ridgeway-Wood to a meeting to discuss these concerns and said that if he chose not to do so, his volunteer agreement and relationship with the Chapter would have to be terminated.

Mr Ridgeway-Wood said he had no intention of going to the meeting and so would have played the Carillon bells for the last time after doing so for about a decade at the cathedral.

Meanwhile, more than 11,000 people have now signed an online petition calling for the 30 axed ringers to be allowed to ring again on Remembrance Sunday, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.

The petition - found at https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/allow-the-york-minster-bell-ringers-to-ring?source=facebook-share-button&time=1476310705 - The petition calls on the Dean of York, the Very Rev Vivienne Faull, to 'allow the York Minster bell ringers to ring the bells on Remembrance Sunday, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve.'

It says: "Remembrance Sunday is THE key day in the year that we remember those who died defending our freedoms during war time.

"Since the end of WW1 bells have been rung every single year in salute to their sacrifice.

"Christmas and New Year's Eve are such special times of year where we enjoy spending time with family and friends; residents and tourists of York alike adore the iconic sound of our bells.

"We request that the Minster honour tradition by allowing the ringers to ring."